Printer



Aug. 15, 1961 c. E. ADLER ETAL 2,996,002

PRINTER Filed June 9, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS' CLARENCE E. ADLER GEOFFREY T- GRAY ATTORNEYS 1951 c. E. ADLER ETAL 2,996,002

'T' '7'1 IT- 2o INVENTORS.

CLARENCE E. ADLER GEOFFREY T. GRAY ATTORNEYS Aug. 15, 1961 c. E. ADLER ETAL PRINTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 9, 1958 INVENTORS- CLARENCE E. ADLER GEOFFREY T. GRAY BY 7IMM,7TIM4M RNEYS ATTO Aug. 15, 1961 c. E. ADLER ETAL 2,996,002

PRINTER Filed June 9, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS- CLARENCE E. ADLER GEOFFREY T. GRAY BY M MW ATTORNEYS United States Patent RINTER This invention relates to printers, and in particular to printers of the industrial type.

Printers of the industrial type diclosed in copending US. application Serial No. 693,975 filed November 1, 1957, now US. Patent No. 2,922,361, have slotted tables upon which tickets to be printed are placed. Mechanism, such as a roller, for pressing a ticket against type is located below the table and printing members which carry the type are located above the table, the roller running in the slot to press the ticket against an inked ribbon and the ribbon in turn against the face of the type.

Because of the abrasive nature of the tickets and because of the great numbers of tickets which are printed in industrial installations, ticket tables in industrial printers, heretofore,'have been made of material, such as stainless steel, that is able to withstand the rubbing of the tickets. This has added significantly to the cost.

The prior ticket tables even though made of wear resistant material, such as stainless steel, have been unsatisfactory because instructions to the operators and index indicia marked on the tables became obliterated by the rubbing of the tickets, unless such instructions and indicia were applied by methods which were not practical from the cost standpoint.

The prior ticket tables also have been unsatisfactory because dirt settled through the slots therein to sooner or later cause the mechanism located below the tables to become inoperative. This has created serious problems because industrial printers are often installed in very dusty locations.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide a dust 'seal for the slotted ticket table of a printer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient cover in the nature of a wear plate for the ticket table of a printer.

Still another object is to provide an easily replaceable dust seal for the slotted ticket table in a printer.

A further object is to provide a combination dust seal and protective cover for the slotted ticket table in a printer, which seal and cover is easily replaceable by another when it wears 'out.

Another object is to provide, for a ticket table in a printer, a dust seal and protective cover which is of a material that resists damage from impact on the table and at the same time resists permanent indentations tending to be caused by printing type.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings.

According to the invention, the dust'seal is so formed that it can be slipped on and off of a ticket table in glove fashion. Most of the dust seal is made of a synthetic resin that is tough and relatively flexible and covers the table like a wear plate. Because of its flexibility'it resists damage from impact such as might occur if a hammer is laid on the table. Such a resin, however, does not resist permanent indentations tending to be caused by printing type. Therefore, the dust seal has a synthetic resin insert which is hard and relatively brittle to resist such indentations. The combination of the two resins permits-most of the coverto be made of easy-to-form, flexible resin at low cost. At the same time, the low cost cover permits the protected ticket table to be made of low cost painted metal, in contrast to the prior tables which were made of expensive material, such as stainless steel, to resist the rubbing of the abrasive tickets, and permits instructions to the operator and index indicia to be marked on the table in low cost decal form, since such markings are protected by the cover.

A preferred form of the dust seal and protective cover is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a weighing scale dial mechanism showing the location of an industrial printer embodying the dust seal and protective cover of the invention as it is mounted on a weighing scale;

FIG. II is an enlarged plan view of the dust seal and protective cover which is illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. IH is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view as seen from a position in front of FIG. I looking toward the printer, the case of the printer being removed to reveal the inner mechanism;

FIG. IV is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section view of the printer mechanism that is located below the ticket table of the printer which is illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. V is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. H;

FIG. V1 is a sectional view taken along the line VI--VI of FIG. H;

FIG. VII is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view as seen from a position below and behind the printer as shown in FIG. I looking up at the ticket table, such table being shown in vertical section and certain basic elements of the printer mechanism being shown schematically; and

FIG. VIII is an enlarged perspective view of the roller printer illustrated in FIG. IV.

These specific figures and the accompanying description are intended merely to illustrate the invention and not to limit its scope.

For the purpose of illustration, the printer is shown in connection with an ordinary dial type weighing scale. Such a scale comprises a dial housing 'l that contains automatic load counterbalancing and indicating mechanism which includes an indicator 2 that is rotated through increments of angle which are proportional to increments of weight applied to the scale and that indicates such weights on a stationary indicia-bearing chart 3. The dial housing 1 is mounted on the top of a scale column 4 of which only the top portion is shown in FIG. I.

.Mechanical chart reading mechanism which is shown and described in US. application Serial No- 643,708, filed March 4, 1957, now US. Patent No. 2,948,463, is located within the dial housing 1 and is connected to the printer which is contained within its housing 5 and case 6 and operated according to the scale readings. The printer may be operated by any of the usual means for setting up printing members, such as type wheels or sectors, or by hand.

The mechanism within the printer case 6 is shown and described in detail in the hereinbefore referred to US. application Serial No. 693,975. For the purpose of understanding the present invention only part of such mechanism is illustrated in FIG. III. Referring to FIG. III, a vertical end frame 7 serves as a support for a stationary sector shaft 8 extending horizontally therefrom. Four printing sectors 9, one for each decade in a four place number, are rotatably mounted on the shaft 8. Spacers 10 on the shaft 8 keep the printing sectors 9 slightly apart, space the sectors from the end frame 7, and space the sectors from the several other members which are mounted along the shaft. A collar 11 keeps the members on the shaft 8 in place.

Each of the printing sectors 9 has an integrally formed hub 12 around which is run and to which is attached a cable 13. One end of each of the cables 13 is attached to its return spring 14 which springs are hooked on a horizontal threaded rod 15 that is fixed to the end frame 7. The other end of each of the cables 13 is led through its cable casing 16 to the hereinbefore referred to mechanical chart reading mechanism which is located with in the dial housing 1. The printing sectors '9, which have type 17 on their peripheries, are rotated by their cables 13, which are driven by the chart reading mechanism, according to the weight of a load upon the weighing scale.

A stationary strut 18, secured 'to a horizontal shaft 19 which extends from the end frame 7, functions to print LB. by means of type 20 fixed to its lower end. The strut 18 along with a similar strut 21 that is similarly mounted functions additionally to take part of the thrust imparted by a roller printer that is located within the housing and hereinafter described.

Final positioning of the printing sectors 9, -i.e., accurate aligning for the printing operation, is accomplished by means of a single centering and locking detent bar 22 that is carried horizontally between a pair of detent actuating links 23 and that is received in locating slots (not shown) in the printing sectors 9 to pivot the sectors additionally into accurately aligned relationship with each other so that the printed matter appears in a straight line.

After finally aligning the printing sectors 9, the detent bar 22 locks the sectors so that they do not move during the printing operation. The detent'actuating links 23 are each slidable in a grooved bushing 24 on the stationary sector shaft 8. The detent bar 22 is carried between the links 23 near the bottoms of the links, the upper ends of the links 23 each being pivotally connected to a short arm 25 each of which is clamped, by means of bolt 26 and nut 27, to a shaft 28 that is mounted for rotation between the end frame 7 and a removable plate 29.

The removable plate 29 is mounted on the ends of a pair of horizontal spacer 'posts 30, that are fixed at 31 to the end frame 7, by means of a pair of spring urgedapart clamps 32 which are slidably mounted 'on the end plate 29 by means of shoulder screws 33. The plate 29 is removed by pinching ears 34 on the clamps 32 together so that the ends of the clamps are withdrawn from grooves 35, one of which is shown in FIG. III, in 'the ends of the horizontal posts 30 to obtain access to the interior of the printer. The plate 29 functions as 'a support for four eccentric bearings 36, three of which can be seen in FIG. III, which are adjustably attached to the 'plate by means of nuts 37. The free ends of inked ribbon-shafts (not shown) and of record strip shafts (not shown) are journaled in the bearings 36. Parallelism of the inked ribbon shafts and of the record strip shafts is adjusted by loosenin'gnuts 37 and by pivotingthe bearings 36. An inked ribbon (not shown) which is carried by the inked ribbon shafts is guided around the outer surface of a curved sheet metal strip 38 which is attached at 39 to the end frame 7. A second curved sheet metal strip 40 which is in very slightly spaced relationship with the first strip 38 also is attached at 39 to the end frame 7 and functions to guide a translucent record strip (not shown) which is carried by the record strip shafts, the record strip beingrnoved between the spaced guide members 38 and 40. The pair of guide strips 38 and 40 is provided with openings which define a printing station 41. The record strip is guided in a path which is very close to the face of the type 17 and 20 and the inked ribbon is guided in a path which is very close to the record strip so that in the printing operation the inked ribbon is pressed against the record strip and the record stripagainst the face of the'type.

The mechanism within the printer housing '5 also is shown and described in detail in'thehereinbeforereferred to US. application Serial No. 693,975. Forthe purpose of understanding the present invention only part of'such mechanism is illustrated in FIG. IV. Referring to FIG;

IV, while the detent bar 22 (FIG. HI) locks the printing sectors 9, roller printer mechanism within the housing 5 completes the printing operation. A ticket or other element 42 (FIG. I) is placed in a narrow opening 43 between the bottom of the printer case 6 and the top of a table 44 which supports the ticket to receive an imprint in juxtaposition with the type 17 and 20 in the printing station 41. Suitably mounted bosses 4S adjustably support, by means of adjustment screws 46, a carriage track 47 having a depression 48 in its upper surface near each 'of its ends. Mounted for reciprocation on the track is a carriage 49 having a U-shaped frame 50 which carries four flanged rollers 51 that are so located two above and two below the track 47 with their flanges embracing the marginal area of the track that the carriage follows the track closely as it is reciprocated by a link 52 pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin 53 to the carriage 49 'and pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin 54 to a drive chain 55. The pivot pins 53 and 54 are riveted tightly to the carriage 49 and to the chain 55, respectively. Movement of the chain 55 pushes or pulls the carriage 49 from one depression 48 in the track to the other, the marginal area on the track being spaced far enough from the depressions that the flanges on the rollers 51 never move into a depression.

Vertical slots 56 in the frame 50 receive a pair of platen roller shafts 57 upon which are mounted a lower roller 58, an upper printing roller 59, and a U-shaped inner frame 60 having a pair of upper vertical slots 61 (FIG. VIII) which receive the upper one of the roller shafts 57 and a pair of lower openings 62 which receive in a close fit the lower one of the roller shafts 57. A pair of roller pressure springs 63 urges the roller shafts 57 apart.

In the operation of the roller printer, movement of the drive chain 55 causes movement of the carriage 49 operatively connected to the chain from one of the depressions 48 to the other. The U-shaped-frame 50 cannot-move up or down relative to the track 47; however, sincethe ends of the roller shafts 57 are received in the vertical 'slots 56 in the frame, the lower roller 58 is free to move out of a depression 48 onto the upper surface of the track while the roller shafts '57 move upwardly in the vertical slots 56. Movement of the lower roller 58 out of the depression causes the inner frame'60 to 'be lifted positively because of the close fit of the lower rollershaft 57 in the openings '62 in the inner frame. Upward movement of the inner frame 60 causes the printing roller 59 also to move upward, "since the roller shafts 57 are urged apart by the roller pressure springs 63, so that although the upper roller shaft is received in the vertical slots '61in the inner frame 60 it nevertheless moves with the inner frame at the start of the printing cycle.

Upward movement of the printing roller 59 caused by the lower roller 58 moving out of the depression 48 thrusts the printing roller 59 out of a slot 6'4 in the table 44, the length of the slot being shown in FIG. IV. The printing roller 59, before it reaches :thetype 17 and 20, is carried at an elevationsuch that its upper face is above the face of the type, suchelevation being determined and adjusted by means of the adjustment screws 46 which are so 'set that there is a uniform pressure :of the printing roller 59 along the face of the type. Thepri'nting roller 59 has a sloppy fit in the table slot 64 and'i's guided along the face of the type by theslot which serves an index forthe printing mechanism, the mechanism within the case 6 being aligned during assembly relative to the'table slot.

When the printing'r'oll'er 59 reaches theprinting station 41, the type 17 'and 20 force the roller downward in the slots 56 and 61 in the frames 50 and 60, respectively, in opposition totheroller'pressure'springs 63. The'mounting of the printingroller "59 in the inner frame which must move up and down with the lower roller 58, causes the printing roller to'dr'op below "the upper-surface of the table '44 when 'thelower rolle'r 58 drops into=one of the depressions '48 in the track 47to permit ti'cke'tsto be slid into the space 43 between thecase 6 andthe table and into the :printing station. The roller printer is adaptedto press a ticket to be printed against the type on the printing sectors 9 on a forward printing stroke during one printing operation and to press another ticket to be printed against the type on a return stroke during another printing operation. In lieu of the roller printer, any means, such as a printer of the hammer type, may be used to press an element to be printed against the printing characters.

One of the problems with industrial printers has been that dirt settles through the slots in their ticket tables to sooner or later impede the operation of the mechanism. Heretofore, the slot 64 in the table 44 has been left open as illustrated in FIG. IV. The combination resilient protective cover and dust seal 65 of the invention, however, completely covers the slot 64 in the table 44 at all times even during the actual printing operation to prevent dust from settling into the housing 5. Such cover 65 is illustrated as it is mounted on the table 44 in FIGS. I and VII.

The combination protective cover and dust seal 65 is so formed that it easily is slipped on and 011 of the table 44 in glove fashion from the right hand end as viewed in FIG. I. Clamps 66 and cooperating wing nuts 67, the front ones being shown in FIG. I and the rear ones being shown in FIG. VII, keep the cover 65 in place. When the cover 65 wears out, it is easily replaceable by another.

The dust seal 65 includes a substantially flat deformable cover portion 68 having turned-under edges 69 along both its sides and an end, the cover 68 being slipped over the top of the table 44 with its edges 69 fitting snugly underneath the edges of the table. The shape of the turned-under edges 69 is shown in section in FIG. V.

An opening 70 is formed in the cover 68 and this is closed by means of a backing strip 71 which is cemented to the underneath side of the cover as shown in FIGS. H and VI. This produces a depression in the cover 68 which is as deep as the thickness of the cover. The depression which also can be identified by the reference number 70 is filled up by means of a pair of inserts 72 cemented in place each of which has a thickness of onehalf of the depth of the depression 70 so that the upper surface of the top one of the inserts 72 is flush with the upper surface of the cover 68 as shown in section in FIG. VI. As indicated in FIG. VII, when the dust seal 65 is in place on the table 44, the backing strip 71 and the inserts 72 are directly over the slot 64 in the table. As also indicated in FIG. VII, when the printing roller 59 is moved in the slot 64 in the table 44, the resilient cover 68 is pressed toward the type 17 on the printing sectors 9. When the printing roller 59 reaches the printing station 41, the printing roller presses the upper surface of the upper one of the inserts 72 against the ticket 42, the ticket against the inked ribbon, the inked ribbon against the translucent record strip, and the record strip against the face of the type 17 and 20. Since the inked ribbon is pinched between the ticket and the record strip, an inked imprint is made on the ticket and a similar imprint is made on the continuous strip for record purposes, the imprint on the ticket being read directly while the imprint on the record strip is read through the translucent strip from the back or unprinted side of the strip. The resilient property of the dust seal 65 permits it to be left on the table for the life of the seal, the printing roller 59, operating through the seal just as though there was no seal or cover on the table.

The cover 68 is made of a synthetic resin that is relatively tough and flexible so that it is easily pressed upwardly by the printing roller 59 so that it is easy to slip on and oflf of the table, and so that it is able to resist damage from impact such as might occur if a hammer is laid on the table 44. Such a resin is usually of the thermoplastic type and easy to form, e.g., by vacuum forming. Such a resin, however, will not resist permanent indentations such as would occur if it was pressed against the printing type many times. Therefore, the cover 68 is provided with the inserts 72 which are located above the slot 64 in the table at the printing station 41. The inserts 72 are made from a synthetic resin which is relatively hard and brittle to resist such indentations. Such a resin is usually of the thermosetting type. The combination of the two resins permits most of the protective cover and dust seal 65 to be made of easy-to-forrn, flexible resin at low cost and yet have the qualities of hardness and brittleness due to the inserts 72. There is no problem in forming the inserts, since they are of a flat, simple shape.

In addition to keeping dirt out of the housing 5, the protective cover and dust seal 65 functions as a wear plate to protect the ticket table 44 from the rubbing of the abrasive tickets. This permits the table to be made of low cost painted metal in contrast to prior ticket tables which were made of material, such as stainless steel, to resist the rubbing of the tickets, and permits instructions to the operator and index indicia to be marked on the table in low cost decal form, since such markings are protected by the cover. In appearance, the protective cover and dust seal 65 is practically invisible, the color of the painted ticket table showing through to make a good looking surface.

The embodiment of the invention described in connection with the drawings is to be regarded as illustrative only since the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, We claim:

1. In a printer, in combination, printing type, a table defining an opening, a deformable member on the table closing the opening, the member comprising a first synthetic resin cover portion that is formed to slip on and off of the table in glove fashion having a second synthetic resin insert portion that is substantially flat and that is located over the opening in the table, the table functioning to support an element on the deformable member to receive an imprint in juxtaposition with the printing type, and means for pressing the deformable member and the element against the printing type.

2. In a printer, in combination, printing type, a table defining an opening in juxtaposition with the printing type, a deformable member on the table closing the opening, the member comprising a first plastic cover portion that is formed to slip on and off the table having a second plastic insert portion that is located over the opening, the first plastic cover portion being relatively tough and flexible and the second plastic insert portion being relatively hard and brittle to resist indentations, the table functioning to support an element on the deformable member to receive an imprint, and means for pressing the insert portion and the element against the printing type.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 16,718 Chamberlin Mar. 3, 1857 546,427 Norcross Sept. 17, 1895 833,029 Dement Oct. 9; 1906 931,170 Wilhelm Aug. 17, 1909 1,061,126 Riley May 6, 1913 1,311,189 Standley July 29, 1919 1,370,169 Turner Mar. 1, 1921 1,631,041 Lautenschlager May 31, 1927 1,712,200 Day May 7, 1929 1,759,476 Allen May 20, 1930 1,765,859 Bartel June 24, 1930 1,926,983 Lamb Sept. 12, 1933 1,958,628 Lamb May 15, 1934 2,123,564 Dalton July 12, 1938 2,144,650 Elliott Jan. 24, 1939 2,482,726 Clements Sept. 20, 1949 2,543,910 Houston Mar. 6, 1951 2,598,161 Gruver May 27, 1952 2,698,216 Carroll Dec. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 202,561 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1939 

